Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 111775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
“Now,” Therese said, breaking me from my thoughts. “It’s time for the tour.” She clapped her hands together and rose from the swivel chair.
“The tour?”
“Of the building you’re going to be managing, dear.”
Right, that made sense. I would need to know the layout of the place. We didn’t discuss Jonathan being my brother for the rest of the day, but I was still eager to talk to someone about it, and the person I wanted to talk to most of all was Shay. I wanted to know his opinion; what he thought I should do. If he considered it a bad idea to keep the new job. But it wasn’t like I could just text him. It was much more of a long, in-person conversation. And besides, I’d just end up misspelling half of it if I put it in a text anyway.
At five-thirty, lots of the office workers began leaving for the day, and Therese instructed me about the keys and how I was to lock up once everyone was gone. Supposedly, the team of cleaners had their own keys and let themselves in later in the evening.
It was ironic I now had to get to my own cleaning job. I missed being able to head to the bus stop to see Shay, but I reminded myself it was only temporary. Two weeks and I’d have lots more free time to spend with him.
When I got home that night, I was ready to collapse onto my bed, but I needed to grab something to eat first. I couldn’t remember what I had in the fridge, but just as I was slotting my key in the lock, Siobhan appeared carrying a small bag, a delighted grin on her face.
“I met your new boyfriend,” she announced, and my eyebrows shot up.
“Excuse me?”
“Your boyfriend. He turned up with a handwritten note asking if I’d give this to you when you got home,” she said, holding up the bag. I glanced at it, then took it when she handed it over.
“Oh, you met Shay? He’s not quite my boyfriend. At least, we haven’t had that conversation yet, but—”
“He’s very handsome,” Siobhan said. “For a second, I thought it was a young Richard Burton risen from the dead to come and seduce me.” She fanned her chest, chuckling away, and I fought a smile. “How sad he’s deaf. The poor thing.”
“He isn’t deaf. He’s mute from a bad surgery he had as a child,” I said, opening my door and stepping in.
Siobhan’s amusement faded, and she looked suddenly mortified as her hands went to her face. “Oh, God. I just assumed he was deaf. And there I was over enunciating so he could read my lips. He must’ve thought I was a right loony.”
“He’s been mute most of his life. I’m sure people have mistaken him for being deaf plenty of times,” I said to reassure her because she really did look embarrassed. “Honestly, Siobhan, I doubt he was offended. Shay has a tough skin. In fact, I assumed the same thing when we first met, and it didn’t bother him in the slightest.”
“Okay, that makes me feel a little better. Please apologise to him for me when you see him next. I feel like such an idiot.”
“It’s fine, really,” I said. “Now, I’ve been working all day, and I need to get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow, pet,” she replied before heading upstairs to her own flat.
I slipped off my shoes and set the bag down on the coffee table, going to change into something more comfortable before I returned to see what Shay had left for me. My chest squeezed when I found a container with chicken soup, a fresh bread roll, another container with salad and a final container with a slice of apple pie. Maybe I was just exhausted, but tears suddenly welled in my eyes.
He knew I’d been working a double shift and went to the trouble of making me dinner. Emotion threatened to drown me at the simplicity of the gesture, but it just meant so much, especially after the day I’d had. I’d found out I had a half-brother, and I barely had time to process the news, never mind tell anyone about it.
I wanted to sit down with Shay and talk it all through, but it would be the weekend before we got the chance. The morning bus was too busy and noisy for that kind of conversation.
I did need to thank him for the food, though. Pulling out my phone, I dialled his number. It was only when it started ringing I realised my error. He wouldn’t be able to respond to me. There was a click, and the ringing ceased. Silence followed, but I heard his breathing and knew he was listening.